The automatic gearbox starts jerking and shifting late above 150,000 km, and sometimes cannot find a gear at all. In a van the load on the gearbox is significantly higher than in a car, and most Crafters are run without an oil change, even though it is not a lifetime fill here. The cost of the repair is among the highest on this list.

The EGR valve and its cooler block up with soot and oily deposits; the particulate filter cannot regenerate on short urban trips. The signs are reduced power, a warning light, and frequent regeneration. The software update after the diesel emissions affair made the EGR operate more often, which accelerated the phenomenon: the maker gave goodwill repairs in several cases.

The air conditioning stops because of a faulty compressor or a leaking pipe. In a commercial vehicle this is not a comfort question: the driver spends eight to ten hours a day in the cab, and recharging the system is no solution on its own if the leak is not found. The cost of the compressor is orders of magnitude higher than a pipe: the test drive shows which one it is.

The seal of the differential on the rear wheel drive Crafter lets go: oil traces around and under the housing, and in the longer term noise from the drivetrain. On a loaded, high mileage van the seal leaks, and it is visible from below.

The internal springs of the flywheel tire, and the two discs knock against each other. The signs are a rattling or knocking from the bellhousing at idle and when releasing the clutch pedal, and vibration through the floor. If the clutch slips without a burnt smell, that also points to the flywheel. It is worth replacing in time: a disintegrated flywheel can destroy the bellhousing too. At a clutch replacement the two go together anyway.

The vanes of the variable geometry turbo are glued together by soot and oil arriving through the EGR. First you get overboost or a lack of boost, then loss of power above 2,000 rpm, and finally limp mode. Caught in time it is enough to remove the turbo, clean it and fit a new actuator rod. Short urban trips and gentle, low rev driving speed up the deposits.

The mechanism of the ignition switch can give up as early as around 50,000 km: the key turns but the car does not start, or only after several attempts. On a van this is more common than on a car, because a courier vehicle is started dozens of times a day: the wear comes from how it is used, not from the model year. The symptom typically gets worse gradually: at first you only occasionally have to try twice.